Former minister says whole govt was involved in decision.
League leader Matteo Salvini’s lawyers on Friday presented a written deposition to the Senate’s immunity panel defending his conduct when he was interior minister regarding the case of the Gregoretti Coast Guard ship.
The Catania court of ministers has requested parliament give it the OK to proceed against Salvini for allegedly abusing his power by failing to give the ok for more than 100 rescued migrants to disembark from the ship for several days during a long standoff in July.
The defensive deposition said that Salvini acted “in the interests of Italy” and said that the whole government, including Premier Giuseppe Conte’s office, was involved in the decision.
The case was one of several standoffs Salvini was engaged in when he was interior minister and deputy premier in Conte’s first government as he sought to apply his policy of closing Italy’s ports to migrants-rescue vessels.